servant, that the latter should have the doctrines of the Gospel frequently impressed on his heart; that his conscience should be made familiar with a system which offers such clear and intelligible propositions of moral duty. The striking interrogation," how "shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against "God?" will perhaps operate as forcibly on an uncultivated mind, as the most eloquent essay to prove that man is not an accountable being. That once credited promise, that " they who have done "well shall go into everlasting life," will be more grateful to the spirit of a plain man, than that more elegant and disinterested sentiment, that virtue is its own reward. That he that walketh uprightly "walketh surely," is not on the whole a dangerous, or a misleading maxim. And "well done, good "and faithful servant! I will make thee ruler over "many things," though offensive to the liberal spirit of philosophic dignity, is a comfortable support to humble and suffering piety. That "we "should do to others as we would they should do "to us," it is a portable measure of human duty, always at hand, as always referring to something within himself, not amiss for a poor man to carry constantly about with him, who has neither time nor learning to search for a better. It is an universal. and compendious law, so universal as to include the whole compass of social obligation; so compendious as to be inclosed in so short and plain an aphorism, that the dullest mind cannot misapprehend, nor the weakest memory forget it. It is convenient for bringing out on all the ordinary occasions of life. We need not say "who shall go up to heaven and "bring it untous, for this word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest " do it "

* Deut. xxx. 11 and 12.

For

For it is a very valuable part of the gospel of Christ, that though it is an entire and perfect system in its design; though it exhibits one great plan, from which complete trains of argument, and connected schemes of reasoning may be deduced; yet in compassion to the multitude, for whom this benevolent institution was in a good measure designed, and who could not have comprehended a long chain of propositions, or have embraced remote deductions, the most important truths of doctrine, and the most essential documents of virtue, are detailed in single maxims, and comprised in short sentences; independent of themselves, yet making a necessary part of a consummate whole; from a few of which principles the whole train of human virtues has been deduced, and many a perfect body of ethics has been framed.

If it be thought wonderful, that from so few letters of the alphabet, so few figures of arithmetic, so few notes in music, such endless combinations should have been produced in their respective arts; how far more beautiful would it be to trace the whole circle of morals thus growing out of a few elementary principles of gospel truth.

All Seneca's arguments against the fear of death never yet reconciled one reader to its approach, half so effectually as the humble believer is reconciled to it by that simple persuasion," I know that my Re"deemer liveth."

While the modern philosopher is extending the boundaries of human knowledge, by undertaking to prove that matter is eternal; or enlarging the stock of human happiness, by demonstrating the extinction of spirit,-it can do no harm to an unlettered man to believe, that "heaven and earth shall pass away, but God's word shall not pass away." While

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the former is indulging the profitable enquiry why the Deity made the world so late, or why he made it at all, it will not hurt the latter to believe that "in "the begining God made the world," and that in the end" he shall judge it in righteousness."

While the liberal scholar is usefully studying the law of nature and of nations, let him rejoice that his more illiterate brother possesses the plain conviction that "love is the fulfilling of the law"-that "love "working no ill to his neighbour." And let him be persuaded that he himself, though he know all Tully's offices by heart, may not have acquired a more feeling and operative sentiment than is conveyed to the common Christian in the rule to "bear each o"ther's burthens." While the wit is criticising the creed, he will be no loser by encouraging his dependents to keep the commandments; since a few such simple propositions as the above furnish a more practical and correct rule of life than can be gleaned from all the volumes of ancient philosophy, justly eminent as many of them are for wisdom and purity. For though they abound with passages of true sublimity, and sentiments of great moral beauty, yet the result is naturally defective, the conclusions necessarily contradictory. This was no fault of the author, but of the system. The vision was acute, but the light was dim. The sharpest sagacity could not distinguish spiritual objects, in the twilight of natural religion, with that accuracy with which they are now 'discerned by every common Christian, in the diffusion of gospel light.

And whether it be that what depraves the principle darkens the intellect also, certain it is that an uneducated serious Christian reads his bible with a clearness of intelligence, with an intellectual comment, -which no sceptic or mere worldling ever attains. The

former

ormer has not prejudged the cause he is examining He is not often led by his passions, still more rarely by his interest, to resist his convictions. While "the "secret of the Lord is (obviously) with them that "fear him," the mind of them who fear him not, is generally prejudiced by a retaining fee from the world, from their passions or their pride, before they enter on the enquiry.

"

With what consistency can the covetous man embrace a religion which so pointedly forbids him to lay up 66 treasures upon earth" How will the man of spirit, as the world is pleased to call the duellist relish a religion which allows not "the sun to go "down upon his wrath?" How can the ambitious struggle for a kingdom which is not of this world," and embrace a faith which commands him to lay down his crown at the feet of another? How should the professed wit or the mere philosopher adopt a system which demands in a lofty tone of derision, "Where is the scribe? Where is the wise? Where "is the disputer of this world?" How will the selfsatisfied Pharisee endure a religion which, while it peremptorily demands from him every useful action, and every right exertion, will not permit him to rest his hope of salvation on their performance? He whose affections are voluntarily rivetted to the present world, will not much delight in a scheme whose avowed principle is to set him above it.-The obvious consequence of these "hard sayings" is illustrated by daily instances. "Have any of the rulers believed on "him?" is a question not confined to the first age of his appearance. Had the most enlightened philosophers of the most polished nations, collected all the scattered wit and learning of the world into one point in order to invent a religion for the salvation of mankind, the doctrine of the cross is perhaps precisely the thing they would never have hit upon; precisely

the

the thing which, being offered to them, they would reject. The intellectual pride of the philosopher relished it as little as the carnal pride of the Jew; for it flattered human wit no more than it gratified human grandeur. The pride of great acquirements, and of great wealth, equally obstructs the reception of divine truth into the heart; and whether the natural man be called upon to part either from "great "possessions," or "high imaginations," he equally goes away sorrowing.

CHAP.